


The Witch in the Walking Tower

by Entwinedlove



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: crossoverbingo, Discussions of Arranged Marriage, Gen, Politics AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 23:48:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21290186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entwinedlove/pseuds/Entwinedlove
Summary: Lord Tywin Lannister visits the witch in the walking tower in a desperate bid to find a new wife for his grandson.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Tywin Lannister
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78
Collections: Crossover Bingo, Entwinedlove's Crossover Bingo 2019





	The Witch in the Walking Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Crossover Bingo](https://crossoverbingo.dreamwidth.org) square N4 – Politics AU

Hermione watched from one of the balconies of her tower as a lone horseman emerged from the thick wood that was the Westerlands. His white stallion contrasted sharply with the brittle, dying grass and dark leaves that littered the autumnal ground. She turned and called for a servant to get a room ready in case their guest wanted to stay and sent for another to gather some things for a small meal.

Hermione peeked into the library where her sixteen-year-old daughter sat reading in the window. Content that Rose was enthralled with her book, Hermione continued on down the stairs to wait for her guest.

She was standing at the tower entrance when Tywin Lannister dismounted in the yard. He passed off his horse's reins to a waiting servant and strode towards Hermione.

"Lady Hermione," he greeted stiffly.

"Lord Tywin. How was your journey?" she asked, stepping aside and gesturing him inside. A servant was waiting to lead the way to a small solar off the guest room where the meal was waiting for them.

"I could have sworn your tower was farther north than it is," he said, "you're practically in the Reach."

Hermione smiled to herself, pleased that he'd noticed. "Well, it didn't just get up and move on its own."

He paused mid-step and looked down at her with confusion. Then he must have decided it was best if he didn't truly know what she'd meant because then he looked away, walking a little faster than before.

Hermione was a... witch. Not like the woods-witch Maggy the Frog up near Casterly Rock. No, Hermione was much more powerful, for one thing, and she worked with spells and potions and her hands rather than with blood. Also, she did not attempt to divine the future. Life was just too fickle to nail something like that down without talking in riddles around oneself. The common folk in the area called her a sorceress, she didn't bother to argue semantics with them.

In the solar, Hermione took a seat with her back towards the window, so she could see her guest in the fading afternoon light. Tywin sat across from her. They broke bread and a servant filled their cups with an Arbor Red. After a few bites, Tywin finally approached the subject he'd come all this way to discuss. "My grandson needs a wife, a queen, and the Stark girl won't do now that her brother's declared himself the king in the North. I assume you've heard about all of this?"

She did have a way of keeping up with the goings-on in Westeros, so she nodded and took another bite of cheese. "I'm not a matchmaker, Tywin, I don't know what you expect me to do for you that you can't arrange for yourself."

He looked at her with squinted eyes. "You know that's not why I came all this way."

"I'm sorry to say you wasted your time."

"Come now, Hermione, your daughter is of age. Older even. She would be the queen. Doesn't that sound appealing? For her... and you?"

"I'm not marrying my daughter off just because a man comes calling. She is still a child."

His hand tightened into a fist and then relaxed and he took a breath. She'd always been able to make him lose his cool. "She's a woman grown and it's time you started looking for a husband for her."

"She will find her own husband when she's ready for one. Right now she isn't done being a child," she said. She took a sip of her wine and set the cup back down. "Besides, don't you think if I've heard about what's happening in the North that I would have heard what a horror Joffrey is?"

"That's your King you're talking about."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, the message clear. He wasn't her king. She bowed to no one. Tywin eyed her but did not push further.

"You could at least introduce them."

"We're not riding all the way to King's Landing for that. I can tell you now, she would take one look at him, see him for the monster he is, and demand we come home. She knows her value."

His jaw clenched and he took a drink of his wine to hide his frustrated expression. From behind his cup, he muttered, "I can offer you gold."

She gave a mirthless little laugh. "You could present me with a living dragon straight from the heart of the Fourteen Fires of Valyria, all the books in the Citadel, and all the gold in the world and I still would not barter my daughter. The answer is no, Tywin." She took another sip of wine but didn't return the cup to the table, instead, she held it near her chest. The last of the evening sun glinted off the scarred finish. "The room is ready for you; if you'd like to stay. I'm sure your horse would appreciate the night's rest." She raised the cup in a mock toast and stood, leaving him to the room but taking her wine with her.

Hermione headed back upstairs towards the library. Perhaps it would be best to make sure Rose wasn't reading any fanciful stories about knights and princes. She wouldn't put it past Tywin to approach her directly about becoming queen before his departure. She should warn Rose that stories about good, honourable men were usually just that—stories.


End file.
